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Delone Catholic scores sweep of Hanover on the track

The Delone Catholic girls clinched the YAIAA Division III title in a showdown with Hanover.

By ZACH SMART The Evening Sun

Updated:
05/01/2012 12:55:16 AM EDT

Delone Catholic s Amanda Gebhart competes in the girls 3,200 meter run against Hanover on Monday at New Oxford High School. The Squirettes defeated the Hawkettes, 99-50, to clinch the YAIAA Division III title.
(THE EVENING SUN --- SHANE DUNLAP)

On the team bus en route to the New Oxford High track where an immensely deeper Delone team thoroughly thrashed Hanover, which had just eight boys, by a 105-41 count Monday, Braun jokingly told Nield he would better his performance by accounting for 20 points.

"Paul Nield scored 18 points in a meet recently, I guess Nick had to one-up him and get 20," Delone coach Ryan Highlands said.

Though Braun's comments toward his teammate and friend were in jest, his performance was no laughing matter. Braun won the long jump, high jump, 400-meter dash and 200, paving the way for the wire-to-wire trouncing.

"I can put (Braun) in almost anything," Highlands said. "The long, triple, the high, the 100, 200, the 400. He'll even run a leg of the 4-by-100 relay if he has to."

Delone's Nick Poole attained a personal best in the 800, clocking 2:05. Poole piloted a pack of teammates and extended his stride toward the final straightaway, executing a late kick that makes the paper-thin junior such a unique threat.

"Nick's performance took the others to personal bests," said Highlands, referring to Jack Raville (2:12) and Oliver Eldridge (2:16).

Hanover first-year runner Steve Osladil has suddenly emerged into one of the area's premier milers despite Hanover's lack of a fall cross country team. Osladil, who was recognized during the Nighthawks' senior night ceremony, clocked 4:58.8 to take home first place in the 1,600.

The senior, who will prolong his running career at Indiana Wesleyan, said he wishes he would have come out for track a bit earlier in his career.

"With as hard as Steve works at practice, it's really not that surprising that he's thrived the way he has," said Hanover assistant coach Joe Sorice, who set records during an illustrious career at Delone Catholic. "He's every coach's dream. He goes above and beyond what you tell him to do. Coach Greg Yiengst is one of the best in the business. He's really groomed Steve. He keeps our runners on their toes with road courses and speed work."

Osladil attributes much of his quick-hit success to laboring under Yiengst's tutelage. Hanover High does not have a track, but it has not splintered the production of the distance runners.

"Coach Yiengst has taught me a lot," said Osladil, who picked up running from his father, who recently ran the Boston Marathon. "With distance, he's got to be one of the better coaches around. We do speed work, distance runs and run on asphalt. My goals are to place in districts, I've got my sights set on getting 4:50 or under in the mile."

It took a few weeks, but Delone's Stormie Hibshman was finally challenged in the field. She won the javelin (110 feet, 2 inches) and was dominant in the discus (115-9), but placed second to York College-bound senior Abbey Rhodes of Hanover. Rhodes, who will ply her trade in basketball and track at York next year, hurled the shot 37-3. Hibshman took second place with 36-8.

Delone coach Dusty Lehr described the potential on sophomore Cambria Wierman as skyscraping. Lehr's words would prove prophetic on Monday.

Wierman placed second in the high jump to Hanover's Morgan Hetrick (5-0) by clearing 4-4. She placed second behind Isabella Ugarte (32-10 3/4) in the triple jump by landing 30-11. Weirman captured first in the long jump, landing 16-3 1/2.

"(Wierman) is going to be fine," Lehr said. "She's got to work on her strength, but then again most 15-year-olds do. We just ran well as a whole today."

Delone senior Sierra Moore, who has embraced a mentoring role toward Wierman in the sprints, busted out first place in the 100. Moore was clocked at 13.2 seconds. Wierman finished right behind her, busting through the finish line at 13.8 seconds. Moore, stalked by Ugarte in the 200, churned out a first-place time of 26.9 seconds.

The Squirettes swept the hurdles with Tori Conrad bagging the 300 (52.0) and freshman Maddi Comly taking the 100 hurdles (17.4). Comly staved off Conrad by 0.2 second in the 100 hurdles. Hanover's Morgan Hetrick took third place, clocking 19.8.

Hanover's Zoie Cleary continued to burn holes in her flats. After shining at the Fairfield Invitational on Saturday, gutting out a tight race with Fairfield's Kaitlyn Beckham, she had plenty of gas left in the tank.

Cleary won the 1,600 (5:34.9), fending off a late push from Delone Catholic standout Sarah Bischoff (5:39.0). Cleary also nabbed the 3,200, clocking 12:25.6.
"Zoie's a machine," Sorice said. "We don't have a cross country team, which is amazing considering she still matches up with the elite cross country and distance runners of the area."

Hanover simply didn't have the depth or the clean bill of health to stay with Delone. The Squirettes' senior class, which has gone 27-2 during their career, was honored before the meet. The boys' class of 2012, which has compiled a record of 19-8 in their careers, was also treated to a pre-meet ceremony.

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